Heritage tourism through urban regeneration – case study of Land forts of Marathwada region

Heritage is a part of a society‘s cultural traditions & it is the identity of a community. It refers to the events & processes that have a special meaning in shaping the region & it has blended itself well into the core of the region. The heritage has all the past values that are worth preserving for the next generation. In a broader sense, the essential aspects of heritage can be divided into the tangible remains from the past, individual & collective memories, intangible facets, and significant outcomesbased on natural, cultural activities & artistic works. Heritage elements are segregated into two groups i.e. Cultural Heritage& Natural heritage. Cultural heritage can be further divided into tangible & intangible elements. The concept of urban heritage can be classified into two sub-themes, one with references from a group of activities, events such as archaeological sites, historical buildings, vernacular architecture, social practices, rituals & festivals. Second isa special category as cultural properties associated with urban centers & neighborhoods. The concept of urban heritage has become popular in recent times with risingin tourism. However, it is not directly linked with historic urban centers since most of them are neglected. This scenario can be improved through a change in approach to the proposition of reviving these declining urban destinations by creating a role-model toolkit of a tourist circuit framework.

economic growth that helps to achieve economic development through engaging visitors who does have interest in the scientific,artistic&heritage of a community. This experience depends upon cultural environments, which comprises of landscapes, different arts & crafts & special events & traditions. By identifying tourism hotspots, a large number of tourist can be attracted towards these historic buildings. In the executive summary of tourism survey for Maharashtra, the statistics suggest that the number of visitors are 14,92,94,703 person for 2019.(ORG-MARG) Out of the number of tourists, there were 98% accounted in Maharashtra & only 2% of foreign tourist visits Maharashtra every year.(ORG-MARG) The major trend of tourists visits Maharashtra‘s rich heritage which is reflected in Ellora caves, Kailasa temple&Ajanta caves in Aurangabad district. ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj Terminus, Victorian, Art-Deco buildings &Elephanta caves are a few notable examples of tourist attractions. Along with these, there is a category which is famous in tourist list is ―Forts‖. There are more than 400 forts in Maharashtra with different types such as Hill forts, Land forts, Sea forts, Coastal forts & Forest forts. Out of these types, Hill forts are visited majorly.(Sawant, 2014) They are most common in Maharashtra & scattered all around the Sahyadri mountains. Around 09 nos.Land forts which has existed withinthe political boundary of the Marathwada region are typical examples of military architecture of the medieval period & are very identical to the precinct but havea different purpose compared to other typologies. In spite of their influential history, most of them are isolated in the core city area & are rarely visited by tourists& locals. There are three distinct categories of these land forts as; a) Capital city forts b) Palatial or administrative forts c) Military outposts to mark the extent of the kingdom The study of forts mentioned in this research is based on the third type of the above listed categories. These forts has palatial complexes, administrative buildings, ammunition storage & water bodies combined to make thema stronghold in the region. Despite having such a distinct inventory for the development of these heritage centers as tourism capital in the state of Maharashtra, their legacy is in the state of negligence.

United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (2010) stated the tourism as a major factor for the employment generation. The 2006 Tourism Policy of Maharashtra states the economic importance of tourism in the state.(ORG-MARG) As per the policy,tourism alone has the potential to change the economic state of the region. It brings numerous benefits to the local community of the region, such as facilities, development in terms of power, sanitation, roads, hospitals, water, etc. &upliftment in quality of life, education & training. Thereport from India Tourism Statistics (2012) of the Ministry of Tourism under the Government of India shows the importance of Foreign Tourist & Foreign Exchange Earnings as well as contribution from domestic tourist in uplifting the economic state of the Maharashtra.(Sawant, 2014) The Maharashtra state ranked first in foreign tourist arrivals & among top 5 in the domestic tourist arrivals. Visit to the historic centers like forts is one of the major motivations for tourist & it plays an important role in attracting lots of tourists. The land forts are unique not only due to the historic significance, distinct architectural features & locations but also allow one to recall the major historic events attached to them. Land fort tourism sites are facing problems due to lack of cooperation from different stakeholders, conservation & preservation frameworks, futuristic planning considering the tourism potential, haphazard encroachment & growth of modern infrastructure facilities & amenities etc. The further discussions can carved out the possible ways for enhancing the synergy between different stakeholders to find out the effective ways to enhance tourism potential by creating a role model toolkit & to reduce the dissatisfaction amongst tourists & locals by effectively minimizing problems of economic leakages.

The development of military science of strengthening positions against the attack from the outside world is termed as a fortification. The term ‗Fort‘ signifies a stronghold, offering protection & security to the inhabitants & the surrounding area. The land forts in the Marathwada region exemplifythe rich cultural history since there many religious structures that have been built in the fortified areas over the period of time which are still been used by locals & few tourists from surrounding areas on the specific events. The event of Flag Hoisting on Independence day, Republic Day &MarathwadaMukti Din is regularly been practiced. The events of religious practices are regularly been performed in the temples & mosques which are part of these forts. In Maharashtra, building mud forts by children during the Diwali festival is anintegral part of the celebration. These forts are not only popular withthe general public but also are one of the most discussed heritage in other parts of the society & have been demonstrated through several articles, novels, books & research papers.

In an ideal condition in the development of economic tools & to develop an effective working model of a Cultural& Heritage tourism with some key elements of futuristic planning strategies, the involvement of the community is very important.((INTACH), 2015) This involvement needs to be undertaken to create good economic opportunities & work towards strategic directions. The leadership in this strategic planning can be achieved through an individual or an organization related to these heritage centers. Following effective steps & considerations should be undertaken by communities to effectively implement the tools of Cultural & Heritage tourism; A) Role Model Toolkit: i) Developing infrastructure for Urban Heritage: conservation & preservation policies, regulations & inclusion of the heritage structure in legislation to spread awareness. b) Provision of financial & administrative support for the creation of infrastructure &itsmaintenance through Public-private partnership. c) System of private, government funding & donations from public-private agencies & to give them tax incentives. ii) The amalgamationof heritage in urban planning framework & generating awareness: a) Considering heritage as a resource for urban development the planning of policies, programs & integration in urban planning through Local area Plans, City Development plans& Master plansfor creating a tourism framework & eventually creating a comprehensive conservation proposal for spreading awareness in the community. b) Conduction of awareness programson the safeguarding of the heritage by encouraging the involvement of multiple stakeholders from all parts of the community, public agencies, professionals & education institutes. iii) Rejuvenation of Urban Heritage through urban renewal: a) Operational guidelines of Heritage Preservation & Rejuvenation projects in delineated historic areas, precincts & public spaces with identification of special characters in the urban renewal context. b) Taking opinions from relevant professionals & scholars making comprehensive proposals of enhancing the characters of the area by promoting its history, culture & socio-economic characters. c) Upgradation of heritage buildings from the nearby areas, precinct, streetscape & public spaces with appropriate guidelines will help to revive the interest of stakeholders & to promote the local economy, community activities & livelihood generation. them inconservation initiatives. b) Enhancing the skills required to take participation in the training for employment in the heritage conservation, cultural tourism initiatives & participation from local youth & women should be encouraged. B) Designing & Managing the framework of the tourist circuit: Cultural & Heritage tourism has played an important role ingenerating revenues for the local communities & states. It has the potential to become a major source to generate revenue from outside the community & expanding the local economy beyond the capacity of locals. Following are the sources needed to successfully design & manage the tourist circuit framework: 1. Development of basic infrastructure facilities in & around the heritage centerssuch as information centers, accommodation facilities & eateries with the participation oflocal communities. 2. Development control regulations to work as guidelines in & around the forts & ultimately connectall the heritage centersto the tourist circuit map/route. 3. Planning & developing transportation facilities, designing circuit routes, public transport facilities & development of roads to ease the accessibility from one centre to another. For eg. 4. Recreational facilities such as parking, design of open spaces, light & sound show with tis link to the historic events/period, people & culture. 5. Design ofsignage&barrier-free accessibility to the fort premise 6. To promote the local art & craft products by creating aneffective framework of people‘s participation. 7. A successfulframework of cultural & heritage tourism requires the coordination of all the stakeholders in tourism, infrastructure development, planning, and economic development & to undertake comprehensive conservation proposalsfor these forts. 8. The implementation of a successful Cultural & Heritage tourism framework & art & cultural development, it is impossible without training from the heritage professionals. Periodic assessment of all these facilities & framework should be conducted to understand the effectiveness of the policies & to determine the impact analysis with their potential to further improvement & development.

The study is helpful for effective implementation of urban regeneration through heritage policies holding cultural events, people participation, and its management &encouraging public urban spaces through different strategies.The outcome of the framework will be helpful for policymakers, urban designers & conservation architects for planning in similar cases.

1. (INTACH), I. N. (2015). Urban Heritage in Indian Cities. Peer Experience & Reflective Learning (PEARL) an initiative of National institute of Urban Affairs. 2. ORG-MARG, A. N. (n.d.). Executive Summary - Tourism Survey for the State of Maharshtra. Government of India. Retrieved 03 20, 2022, from https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2020-04/Maharashtra_0.pdf 3. Palanca, M. T. (2019). Urban Regeneration in Heritage conservation areas: Culture as a tool of enhancement. The Sustainable City XIII, 238. doi:10.2495/SC190361 4. Rosenfeld, R. A. (2008). Cultural & Heritage Tourism. Research Gate, 15. 5. Sawant, D. R. (2014). Potential of Fort Tourism in Maharashtra: A comparison with Rajasthan. New Delhi: University Grants Commission. Retrieved 03 20, 2022

Assistant Professor, School of Architecture& Planning, Vishwakarma University, Pune